Green Governator unveils California’s ‘Astronauts of the Green Revolution’
March 17th, 2009 Categories: My Stories, Sacramento Economy
Just yesterday, Arnold Schwarzenegger launched the California Green Corps; that will place at-risk young adults aged 16 to 24 into jobs in California’s emerging green economy.
Governor Schwarzenegger said “The Green Corps will help underprivileged young people learn job skills while we create a well-trained workforce for clean technology and for the green economy. I’ve been pushing for this program for a long time, because it kind of combines my passion for the environment, for protecting the economy, creating jobs, career-tech education and helping underprivileged kids and of course, service.”
A $20 million project, It consists of a combination of $10 million in federal economic stimulus funding (U.S. Department of Labor) and $10 million from public-private partnerships. The first phase of the California Green Corps will consist of a 20-month pilot program reaching at least 1,000 of California’s at-risk young adults.
In their presidential campaign, Obama had promised to create a Green Jobs Corps to engage disadvantaged youth in energy efficiency opportunities to strengthen their communities, while providing them with practical skills in this high-growth career field.
